The Last of Us Part II Remastered PC Mouse Sensitivity Issue: How to Fix?

Mouse sensitivity issues can quickly turn an incredible gaming experience into a frustrating one. If you’ve recently started playing The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC, you might have noticed something feels off when aiming. What should be smooth, precise mouse movements instead feel jittery and inconsistent—almost like your cursor is skipping pixels rather than gliding across the screen.

This guide dives deep into the mouse sensitivity problems plaguing The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC and provides multiple solutions to get you back to enjoying the game’s stunning visuals and gripping narrative without fighting the controls.

Understanding the Mouse Sensitivity Issue

The mouse sensitivity problem in The Last of Us Part II Remastered isn’t just annoying—it’s downright disruptive. Players describe the experience as trying to aim during an earthquake, with small movements feeling unpredictable and imprecise.

When you’re trying to line up a perfect headshot on a Clicker in the midst of an intense encounter, the last thing you need is your crosshair jumping erratically across the screen. This pixel-skipping issue becomes particularly noticeable during precise aiming scenarios, creating a disconnect between your hand movements and what happens on screen.

Interestingly, this isn’t Naughty Dog’s first rodeo with mouse input problems on PC. Similar issues were reported in previous ports like Uncharted 4. The root cause likely stems from how the game engine translates keyboard and mouse inputs through what was originally designed as a gamepad-based system.

Official Fix Released in Latest Hotfix

Good news first! Unlike many other technical hiccups in The Last of Us Part II Remastered PC version, Naughty Dog has acknowledged the mouse sensitivity problems and released an official fix as part of their latest hotfix update.

If you haven’t checked for updates recently, now would be the perfect time to do so. Many players report significant improvements after installing the latest patch, with mouse movements feeling substantially more responsive and accurate.

However, if you’re still experiencing issues even after updating to the newest version, don’t worry—we’ve compiled several effective workarounds that might help resolve your specific situation.

Simple Fix: Restart Your Game

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Many players have discovered that a proper game restart was all it took to fix their mouse sensitivity issues.

Here’s why this works: Even after adjusting settings like mouse smoothing to zero in the game’s options menu, these changes might not fully take effect until after you completely exit and restart the game. Once you do, you should notice immediate improvements in how the camera and aiming controls respond.

This easy fix is often overlooked but has proven remarkably effective for a large number of players struggling with mouse precision issues.

Registry Editor Fix for Mouse Smoothing

If a simple restart didn’t solve your problem, you might need to dig a little deeper. This more technical solution involves modifying your Windows Registry to ensure mouse smoothing is properly disabled:

1. Close The Last of Us Part II Remastered completely
2. Open the Registry Editor (press Win+R, type “regedit” and press Enter)
3. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Naughty Dog\The Last of Us Part II\Input
4. Find the “EnableMouseSmoothing” key and change its value from 1 to 0
5. Restart your game and test the mouse sensitivity

For those uncomfortable with manually editing the registry, there’s an even simpler approach using a .reg file:

1. Open Notepad on your computer
2. Copy and paste the following text:

3. Go to File > Save As
4. Set the file type to “All Files”
5. Name it “disablesmoothing.reg”
6. Double-click the saved file to automatically apply these registry changes
7. Restart the game completely

This method is particularly effective because it bypasses any potential issues with the in-game settings not properly communicating with the system-level mouse handling.

DPI and Sensitivity Balancing Method

Another workaround that’s proven effective for many players involves adjusting the relationship between your mouse’s DPI (Dots Per Inch) settings and the in-game sensitivity:

1. Increase your mouse DPI through your mouse software or settings
   • Most gaming mice have dedicated software for this
   • Some mice have physical DPI adjustment buttons
2. Then lower the in-game sensitivity to compensate

This approach creates a more granular input system. By increasing the mouse’s physical resolution (higher DPI) while reducing the game’s sensitivity multiplier, you effectively give the game more data points to work with for each movement. The result is often smoother aiming with less noticeable pixel skipping.

While this won’t completely eliminate the underlying input translation issue, it can significantly reduce the jitteriness and make precise aiming feel much more responsive and predictable.

Verify Your In-Game Settings

Before trying more complex solutions, let’s double-check that your in-game settings are optimized for mouse play:

1. Launch The Last of Us Part II Remastered
2. Go to Options > Controls
3. Set Mouse Smoothing to 0
4. Disable any Acceleration options
5. Adjust your Mouse Sensitivity to a comfortable level
6. Ensure any “Deadzone” settings are minimized
7. Restart the game completely after making these changes

Some players have reported that even though the mouse smoothing slider goes to zero, it might not be fully disabled without the registry edit mentioned earlier. The combination of proper in-game settings plus the registry modification often yields the best results.

External Mouse Software Solutions

If you’re using a gaming mouse with dedicated software (like Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, or Corsair iCUE), you have additional options that might help mitigate the mouse sensitivity issues:

1. Create a game-specific profile for The Last of Us Part II Remastered
2. Experiment with polling rate adjustments (some players report better results with 500Hz rather than 1000Hz)
3. Try disabling angle snapping/path correction features
4. Create custom DPI shift settings to allow on-the-fly precision adjustments when aiming
5. Disable any surface calibration features that might be affecting tracking precision

These mouse-specific settings can work in conjunction with the game’s internal settings to provide a more consistent aiming experience.

Understanding the Technical Limitations

It’s worth understanding why these issues exist in the first place. The Last of Us Part II was originally developed for PlayStation controllers, which handle aiming very differently from a mouse:

• Controllers typically use acceleration and deceleration curves to help with precision
• Aim assist features further compensate for the limitations of analog sticks
• Mouse input is direct and 1:1, which requires different translation methods

When porting to PC, developers must bridge this gap between input methods. The pixel skipping occurs when the game’s engine doesn’t properly interpolate between the mouse’s high-precision input and the game’s internal aiming system.

Knowing this won’t fix your problem, but it might help you better understand which solutions are more likely to work for your specific setup.

The Gamepad Alternative

While not ideal for many PC gamers who prefer mouse and keyboard, it’s worth mentioning that using a controller completely sidesteps these sensitivity issues. The game was originally designed for gamepad input, so if you have a compatible controller, it might provide a smoother experience while you wait for further official fixes.

Many players report that the DualSense controller provides the most authentic experience, but Xbox controllers and other PC-compatible gamepads work well too. The game includes full controller support with proper button prompts and haptic feedback features for supported devices.

Community Solutions and Player Reports

The PC gaming community has been actively sharing additional workarounds for the mouse sensitivity issues. Here are some of the more unique solutions players have reported success with:

Frame Rate Limiting

Some players have found that capping their frame rate to a stable value (like 60fps or 120fps) rather than running unlocked can reduce input inconsistencies:

1. Use the in-game frame rate limiter in the Graphics settings
2. Alternatively, use your GPU software to cap frames (NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Software)
3. Make sure V-Sync is configured appropriately for your setup

Fullscreen vs. Borderless Window

Experimenting with different display modes has yielded results for some players:

1. Try switching between Fullscreen, Borderless Window, and Windowed modes
2. Some players report better mouse behavior in true Fullscreen mode
3. Others find that Borderless Window reduces input lag issues

Specific Hardware Combinations

The community has noticed that certain hardware configurations seem less affected by the issue:

• Players using higher refresh rate monitors (144Hz+) generally report less noticeable pixel skipping
• Some mouse sensors appear to handle the translation better than others
• Wired mice often provide more consistent results than wireless options

When to Expect More Official Updates

Naughty Dog has been relatively responsive with post-launch updates for The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC. While they’ve already addressed the mouse sensitivity issues in their initial hotfix, continued community feedback suggests there’s still room for improvement.

Based on their update patterns with previous PC releases, we can reasonably expect:

1. Additional hotfixes addressing specific control issues in the coming weeks
2. A larger patch that will likely include more comprehensive input handling improvements
3. Ongoing optimization for various hardware configurations

The development team has demonstrated their commitment to improving the PC port experience, so staying updated with the latest patches is your best long-term solution.

Troubleshooting If Nothing Works

If you’ve tried all the solutions above and are still experiencing mouse sensitivity problems, here are some additional troubleshooting steps:

1. Check for conflicts with other software:
   • Temporarily disable any overlays (Discord, Steam, NVIDIA GeForce Experience)
   • Close background applications that might be intercepting mouse inputs
   • Verify no macro software is running
2. Update your system:
   • Ensure Windows is fully updated
   • Install the latest drivers for your mouse
   • Update your graphics drivers
3. Verify game files:
   • Use your game launcher’s option to verify the integrity of game files
   • This will replace any potentially corrupted files that might be affecting controls
4. Clean your mouse sensors:
   • Dust or debris can affect sensor performance
   • Use compressed air to clean optical sensors
5. Test on different surfaces:
   • If using an optical mouse, try different mousepad materials
   • Ensure you’re using a surface appropriate for your mouse type

Conclusion: April 11, 2025

The mouse sensitivity issues in The Last of Us Part II Remastered PC are frustrating but not insurmountable. With Naughty Dog’s official hotfix already addressing many of these problems and the community-discovered workarounds we’ve outlined, most players should be able to find a solution that works for their setup.

The true testament to the game’s quality is that players continue to immerse themselves in its world despite these technical hiccups. Once you’ve resolved your mouse sensitivity issues, you’ll be free to fully appreciate the stunning visual upgrades, compelling narrative, and immersive gameplay that make The Last of Us Part II one of the most acclaimed action-adventure experiences in recent years.

Remember that PC gaming often requires a bit of tweaking to achieve optimal performance, especially with console-to-PC ports. The solutions provided here should help you overcome the mouse sensitivity hurdles and get back to what matters most—enjoying this remarkable game as it was meant to be experienced.